Acetal
High strength, stiff, low friction engineering plastic with good wear properties
Acetal (polyoxymethylene or POM) is a high strength, low friction engineering plastic that has excellent wear properties in both wet and dry environments. Acetal is chemically resistant to hydrocarbons, solvents, and neutral chemicals. Easy to machine, acetal makes an outstanding choice for applications that require complex, tight tolerances.
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STANDARD SIZES
| SHEET |
Dimensions:
6 in x 6 in – 48 in x 120 in |
Thickness:
0.031 in – 6 in |
| ROD |
Diameter:
0.187 in – 12 in |
| TUBE |
Outside Diameter:
25 mm – 230 mm |
OPTIONS AVAILABLE
| COLOR |
Sheet:
Natural, Black, Brown, Blue, Green, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Pink, Orange, Purple, Red, Yellow
Rod:
Natural, Black, Brown, Blue, Green
Tube:
Natural |
| GRADES |
Static Dissipative, Glass-Filled, Enhanced Bearing and Wear, FDA Compliant, Metal and X-ray Detectable |
Length, width, thickness, and diameter tolerances vary by size, by manufacturer, brand, and grade. Custom sizes and colors available upon request.
Acetal Properties and Material Options
Homopolymer vs. Copolymer– Acetal is available in both homopolymer (Delrin® 150) and copolymer.
- Homopolymer acetal (Delrin®) has superior room temperature strength, stiffness, and toughness.
- Copolymer acetal has excellent performance in continuous high heat and hot water environments. Copolymer acetal also tends to have less porosity than homopolymer acetal.
Acetal Grades– Acetal is available in a number of grades, including enhanced bearing and wear Delrin® AF, Delrin® 100AF blend, Delrin® AF DE588, and TECAFORM® HPV13. Delrin® 511P is a homopolymer acetal that offers enhanced crystallization characteristics. This higher level of crystallization helps to augment aspects of the physical properties such as fatigue strength, stiffness, and creep resistance.
Ask about special formulations that offer medical or static dissipative grades.
Food Grade Acetal– FDA compliant copolymer acetal is an optically detectable blue material suitable for food contact. It has good mechanical and wear properties, low moisture absorption, and is easy to machine to tight tolerances.
Optical, Metal, and X-Ray Detectable Acetal–TECAFORM® AH UD Blue is an FDA compliant acetal copolymer designed for food contact. This multi-detectable food grade blue plastic can be detected by optical scanners, metal detection equipment, and x-ray detection equipment. It offers good machinability and mechanical properties for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Chemical Attack– Acetal is chemically resistant to many fuels and solvents.
Wear Resistance– Acetal offers good wear and abrasion properties.
Tech Tip– Glass-filled grades of acetal offer enhanced strength and stiffness such as Delrin® 570.
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Typical properties of ACETAL
| |
UNITS |
ASTM
TEST |
HOMOPOLYMER
ACETAL |
COPOLYMER
ACETAL |
TECAFORM®
HPV13
PTFE-FILLED
ACETAL |
20% GLASS
FIBER FILLED
HOMOPOLYMER
ACETAL |
| Tensile strength |
psi |
D638 |
10,000 |
9,800 |
6,800 |
8,500 |
| Flexural modulus |
psi |
D790 |
420,000 |
370,000 |
350,000 |
730,000 |
| Izod impact (notched) |
ft-lbs/in
of notch |
D256 |
1.5 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
Heat deflection
temperature
@ 264 psi |
°F |
D648 |
257 |
230 |
244 |
316 |
Maximum continuous
service temperature
in air |
°F |
|
185 |
195 |
185 |
185 |
Water absorption
(immersion
24 hours) |
% |
D570 |
0.25 |
0.20 |
0.22 |
0.25 |
Coefficient of
linear thermal
expansion |
in/in/
°Fx10-5 |
D696 |
6.8 |
6.1 |
5.1 |
2.0 - 4.5 |
Coefficient of
friction (dynamic) |
|
|
0.20 |
0.21 |
0.12 |
0.35 |
Values may vary according to brand name. Please ask your Curbell Plastics representative for more specific information about an individual brand.
Explore the physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties of acetal.
Sort, compare, and find the plastic material suited for your application using our interactive properties table.
